No-One But You
by Elegiac Bishop
Summary: Izuku Midoriya and Ochako Uraraka meant a lot to each other. They were friends, fighters, trust bearers, and more. They had their fill of laughs and tears to last lifetimes. They inspired each other to go beyond daily, to be the best heroes they could be, but before they could become the best, they'd overcome one of the toughest and longest trials they would ever face: high school.
1. You're My Best Friend (Firsts)

Ochako Uraraka was always a driven individual, striving to work as hard as she possibly could in order to give her parents an easier life. Yet, for the life of her, as she faced her homeroom teacher, Shouta Aizawa, her eyes would always wander toward the left side of the classroom. There, she would see a classmate of hers, a boy her age named Izuku Midoriya.

She didn't even know why she did this. As she drummed her fingers on her desk, she pondered, _Maybe I'm still thinking about what Mina said back when we moved into our dorms, but why? It's not like I lo-_ She stopped to shake her head in denial before continuing her reasoning. _I don't like him like that… Right? Ugh, why are teenage emotions so complicated?!_ Unable to sort her feelings, she pressed her head against the desk. Unfortunately, Shouta noticed immediately.

"Hey, Uraraka. Get your head up. If I can't rest, neither will you."

Her head snapped back to its original position, and she became aware of twenty pairs of eyes staring at her. Instinctually, she glanced towards the left side of the classroom.

For a moment, her eyes met Izuku's, and she found herself unable to look away, as if his hair was comprised of snakes and his very appearance would turn her into stone. For what felt like an eternity, her mind were lost in his features. His wild, unkempt locks of hair, his wide eyes that revealed his mild surprise, and his numerous freckles all captured her attention and refused to let go without a struggle.

Desperate to not look flustered, she jerked her head towards Shouta and quickly apologized. Izuku couldn't help but assess what had just happened. _Why was she looking towards me? She seemed uneasy, but about what?_ "Could it be that there's something wrong with my appearance today? If so, what? I don't recall doing anything different, but maybe the wind shifted my hair, or-"

Behind him, Momo Yaoyorozu tapped his shoulder, breaking him out of his trance, and apologetically stated, "Midoriya, you're starting to mumbling again."

"Wait, I was?"

* * *

After that mishap of a Monday morning, Ochako couldn't wait for lunch. Though, were it not for Tenya's presence, she wouldn't have sat at the same table as Izuku due to embarrassment. Even then, she tried to avoid direct eye contact with the latter. With the lunch period nearly over, she thought that the rest of the day could be normal, but then a pink arm slung around her.

Mina Ashido exclaimed, "Hi there, Uraraka! Mind if I sit with you guys for a bit?" Tenya and Izuku nodded their heads in approval.

"Ah, sure, but why? Lunch's about to end."

"Well, I was wondering if I could ask you something?" Her smile seemed innocuous enough that Ochako felt that there'd be no harm to answering it.

"What's it about?"

" _Well_ , I was hoping that you'd tell me why you were staring at Midoriya earlier this morning. Do you have a thing for him?" Despite Mina keeping the same smile as before, Ochako now saw the wicked intent lying behind it, now too late to retract her agreement.

Both Ochako and Izuku felt their faces flush furiously as their minds raced kilometers a second, thinking of anything they could do, anything they could say, to escape this predicament they were in.

Tenya rose from his seat and addressed the pink-skinned girl. "That's enough! There's no need for you to spur turmoil between fellow classmates!"

"I just want to know what's going on between them, Iida! Don't be a spoilsport. They're your friends, too. Wouldn't you want to know?"

Izuku was the first of the two put on the spotlight to speak a semi-coherent answer.

"U-uraraka?! With me?!"

Ochako followed quickly with her own argument. "N-no! It's not like that, Mina!"

"Really? Cuz it seems like that to me. If it's not, mind telling me what it is?" She pouted and rested her hands on her hips, unconvinced.

Ochako was rendered speechless. She could've been given a minute, an hour, even a day, but she still couldn't find a way to answer her question.

Izuku could barely think of an answer as well. Instead, he thought back to how she saved him from falling to his death the day they first met, how she changed his nickname, Deku, from an insult to a name dear enough to him that he would be willing to be known by it, and how selfless she was in risking her life working as a hero to ensure that her parents would live easily once she became a pro. She was already a hero to him. He felt satisfied simply being around her, and he thought that even attempting to be anything more would jeopardize their relationship. _Friends,_ he thought, an answer forming in his mind.

Unfitting of his meek appearance, Izuku slammed his hand on the table to get their attention. Determined, he faced Mina and declared, "Uraraka… she's the first true friend I ever had!"

Flabbergasted, the horned student could only mutter, "What?"

"She's been there for me since even before I got into U.A. High. She's always encouraging me to work harder, to be a better hero than I am now, even if she isn't aware of it, and I'd trust her with my life."

Ochako felt her eyes start to water, and she cried out, "Deku… you really think that highly of me? B-but you're so strong and selfless! You'd let yourself get hurt over and over again just to help one person! If anything, you're my inspiration."

It was Izuku's turn to start tearing up, and he stated, "Really?! Well, I guess you're my best friend. I never really had one before, but… I hope we'll always keep each other company."

Ochako wiped her tears away as she added, "I guess that makes you my best friend as well. May nothing ever stop us from being friends." Their right hands clasped together and shook as if they made a legal agreement. Although tears still streamed from their eyes, they were genuinely happy.

Mina couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wanted them to confess, but what she wanted was for them to declare their love for each other, not cement their companionship! In frustration, she paced back to discuss this new development with her horn-buddy, Eijirou Kirishima, who couldn't help but ask her why she was so angry.

"So, uh, what happened back there that's got you mad?"

Mina's eyes stared down at the table. "Kirishima, I tried to get them to admit their feelings, and all they've admitted is that each other's best friends!"

He tilted his head in confusion. "Uh, isn't that a good thing? After all, that means that they're very close to each other."

Suddenly, her head jerked up to face Eijirou. "That's the problem, Kirishima! If they see each other as best friends, neither one will try to make the first move because they're afraid of losing each other! Do you not know how love between friends works?!"

He shook his head. "No, not really. I've never been one to watch romance."

She sighed and facepalmed. "Well, it seems that if they're not going to get together on their own terms, we might have to play matchmaker."

"Count me in, Mina! I'd do anything to get those two together. They're practically made for loving each other!" His toothy grin comforted her, and she returned in kind.

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. As the two walked out of the cafeteria, Eijirou mumbled, "Still... I'm bothered by what he said."

Mina craned her head to face him. "Who?"

"All Might. He said that we'd be working in pairs in a few days, but for what?"

"Who cares? Though it'd be perfect if Midoriya and Uraraka were paired up."

"Agreed."

That day was the first day Izuku and Ochako admitted that they were best friends. It certainly wouldn't be the last, given the teasing of their peers, but the day even one of them would see themselves as something more had yet to come.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows! I know it's been a long time since I last posted, and I apologize to the people waiting for the next chapter of "All for Her". I just lost the drive, the motivation, even the love of writing to write back then. I had ideas spanning out to the point where the manga was, but I didn't know how to get there. While comments earnestly asking for more made me smile, I loathed myself for not actively writing. Izuocha week changed that. Writing these prompts, I found the drive to write in spite of the limited time I have. What more, I found the passion for writing that I thought I lost. Again, I'm sorry for those who waited 6 long months for AfH, but I'm back now and ready to keep weaving a tale I had long stopped working on. First, just let me write seven chapters for a ship that has always left me smiling, is that okay?**


	2. Fight From the Inside (Tag Team)

Today, everyone waited in anticipation for their Foundational Hero Studies class. They weren't sure what to expect. After all, the only tidbit of information they received from their teacher their teacher, All Might, they would be fighting in pairs. As they waited for him to appear, they chatted amongst themselves.

Denki Kaminari sighed with relief and sagged into his desk. "At least it's not another test. Mr. Aizawa's last one was _brutal_."

Momo Yaoyorozu replied, "I thought you understood the lesson…" She was happy to tutor for her fellow classmates, so seeing one do terribly made her doubt her ability to teach.

Instantaneously, he shot up, waving his arms about as he desperately reasoned why he performed poorly. "I-I thought I did as well! Don't worry, it's not your fault! It's mine! I should've paid more attention to the questions you had us practice!"

Mashirao Ojiro turned to the person to his right and asked, "What do you think we'll be doing?"

Yuga Aoyama shrugged and responded, beaming as he usually did. "It matters not so long as I get my time to shine!"

As he rested his feet on the desk, much to the disappointment of the class president, Tenya Iida, Katsuki Bakugou declared, "I don't care what we're doing. I'd do _anything_ if I can beat Deku at it. Do you hear me, you runt?!"

Izuku, sitting directly behind him, certainly heard him, but he was far too shocked at the sudden declaration of war to retort. Just before the silence would make him seem fearful, as if on cue, the door to their classroom opened, and All Might walked in.

To the public, when the name of Japan's former top hero was mentioned, his muscular physique, a wide shining grin, and the two golden locks of hair that defied gravity came to mind. The students of U.A. would instead think of Torinoshi Yagi, the true identity of the iconic superhero. Physically, he looked like a deflated shell of his former self. He stood tall but lacked apparent muscle, he constantly seemed disappointed, and his stunning locks drooped to the sides of his face. It was not impossible to see him smiling in this form, however, and as Izuku Midoriya, the boy he decided to make his successor, might testify, the times he did smile in this form were some of the most genuine he'd seen. Despite losing the power that made him a legend in an epic battle with his nemesis, All for One, he hadn't lost the personal experience he gained through years of hero work. Although his voice no longer boomed with energy, it still had a heavy air to it that drew everyone's attention solely to him as he spoke.

As he sorted the papers in his hand, Torinoshi spoke, "Sorry for running late. There were a few papers I had to finish grading. None of them are yours, though. Now then, let's get started with today's event. As you may or may not be aware, you've all shown tremendous growth in character and in your physical abilities. Hence, I decided to revisit an old exercise to assess your development. Today, you will repeat the battle trials you've done at the beginning of the school year, partnered up with the same person as last time as well as facing the same pair as before. However, those of you who were the heroes last time will now be the villains, and vice versa. The objective, either capturing the other team or securing the nuclear warhead for your side, will remain the same. The order of battles will also remain the same. If you've forgotten who you worked with, please talk to me. Otherwise, after five minutes here, change into your hero outfits and meet me in Ground Beta. You'll want to discuss strategies with your teammate before your trial begins."

For a few seconds, nobody said a word. Whether they expected Torinoshi to say more or they didn't want to be the first one to speak was anyone's guess. As the silence became awkward, Torinoshi was prompted to tell them, "That means you're free to talk amongst each other now." Then, the silence was shattered into innumerable shards as heads turned to face each other and chairs screeched to let the students stand.

Tooru Hagakure, despite being invisible, expressed her panic to her partner, Mashirao, by flailing her arms wildly as she asked, "Oh man, oh man, oh man, Ojiro! How are we supposed to win when _Todoroki's_ guarding the bomb?! What if he encases the entire building in ice again?! What if he encases the _bomb_ in ice and we can't get it out in time?!"

"Breathe slowly, Hagakure. I'm sure that we'll find a way to at least stand a fighting chance. Also, I think freezing the bomb would stop the circuits, thus disarming the bomb, so we shouldn't worry about that."

Shouto, overhearing their conversation, bluntly stated, "If my ice is so much of a problem, I could try only using my fire side this time."

Tooru, who was nearly calm again, immediately screamed, "How does that help us?!"

"Well, for starters, safe use of my fire will be limited since we'll be indoors…"

Meanwhile, Izuku pondered, _So I'm working with Uraraka again to battle Iida and Kacchan. How should we approach this situation?_ He went to talk to Ochako, but as he rose from his desk, Katsuki laughed.

As he turned to glare at Izuku, Katsuki maliciously grinned at him and showed him his glowing palm as he claimed, " _Finally_. Not only do I get to beat you, but I'll redeem myself for that loss. Don't half-ass it, Deku!"

Ochako could see him shudder, and so she tugged him away from Katsuki and whispered, "So, what should we do? This time, we're protecting the bomb from Bakugou and Iida."

Izuku regained his senses, and replied, "Iida's probably going to enter from the ground floor and work his way up. With his Engine Quirk, he'd be able to search a floor in seconds."

"Yeah. Bakugou's probably going to check the windows on the top floor first by rocketing his way up, so we can't leave the bomb out in the open."

"Yeah… I got it!"

"Wait, got what?"

"Here's what we'll do to hide the bomb…" He glanced around the room to make sure nobody could hear them before whispering to Ochako, who nodded along to his words.

"Alright, alright. That sounds good, but how about we distract them as well by…" They received glances from Katsuki and Tenya, who then went back to their own conversation.

Tenya asked, "So to make this clear, we'll split up and examine the building, with you searching the higher floors while I start from the bottom. Is that correct?"

Katsuki confirmed. "Yeah. That's right. They probably already guessed that we would do that, but it's the best approach we have."

"So we'll contact each other if we happen to spot them?"

Katsuki, much to Tenya's displeasure, shrugged and changed the subject. "Planning against Deku by himself is fucking easy. His tactical mind means that he'd bet everything on a single shitty gambit, and he'd sacrifice himself to make sure it'll work. Foil that, and he's got nothing but brute force. In terms of combat, you should easily beat him. His Shoot Style's based off your own fighting style, after all, but unlike you, he lacks the speed to compensate for his telegraphed strikes. It's the fact that Uraraka's with him that makes him a threat. In fact, I'd say that she's the more dangerous one to leave alone."

Astonished at Katsuki's sharp deduction of Izuku, followed by his declaration of Ochako being the greater threat, Tenya could only inquire, "Wh-what do you mean?"

"If what Deku said back at the Sports Festival is right, about Uraraka facing me with her own plan of combat, then Uraraka has a strategic mindset. You've seen how she fought me. Her initial goal was to affect me with Zero Gravity, but when that wouldn't fucking work, she started to gather a barrage, keeping my eyes on her to make damned sure that I'd be unaware of it until it happened. If I wasn't suspicious of her and didn't save up sweat on one of my arms, I would've lost when she unleashed that hail of debris. Now that Izuku's working with her, I don't know what to expect. That runt always seemed to know how to use other people's Quirks better than his own."

* * *

Before Izuku or Ochako knew it, their battle trial was about to begin. They felt anxious, but they were also confident that they planned a solid strategy. They were given a few minutes to prepare, and with it, Izuku smashed holes in various walls around the building with Ochako's advice, creating rubble for her to utilize. Some of it scattered the hallways, while other pieces had gone into making massive mounds in several places around the building, each one large enough to reasonably conceal the bomb. This would've been impossible for any regular person to achieve, but with Izuku's strength and Ochako's ability to float objects, they were able to work and move between floors quickly. With barely any time to spare, they were prepared against their powerful adversaries.

As Katsuki and Tenya stood outside the building, slightly shocked that it showed signs of damage, Torinoshi counted down. "Three, two, one. Begin!"

While he sent off explosion after explosion in the palms of his hands, propelling him skyward, Katsuki thought, _Today will be different, Deku! I won't lose to you_ or _Uraraka!_

Almost immediately after entering the building, Tenya radioed Katsuki. "Bakugou, I have a problem."

"Well spit it out then!"

"The ground floor's littered with fragments of the building! There are a few massive piles of pieces that reach the ceiling!"

 _Think you're so clever, huh?!_ Katsuki grimaced as he instructed his partner. "Check those piles! They might be hiding the bomb in one of them, but do it carefully! Were this a real-life test, we wouldn't want to damage the bomb!" Then, as he ascended, Katsuki saw an unmistakable shade of green from one of the fourth-floor windows. "I've found Deku. Fourth floor. Keep searching. He's probably a distraction." After shutting his radio transmitter off and turning himself around, he then rocketed into the building. Izuku's back was towards him, and so he attempted to swiftly strike him with his right foot. "There you fucking are, Deku! DIE!"

Izuku, having activated Full Cowl, backflipped over him, and as Katsuki used his explosions to turn himself around, he saw floating debris line the ceiling as Izuku put his thumb over his curled index finger and cried out, "DELAWARE SMASH!" as he snapped his fingers and was propelled back. Had Katsuki examined the ceiling more closely, he would've found a hole behind Izuku that led to the next floor.

On cue, the debris fell and was propelled by the resulting air pressure towards Bakugou! His repositioning left him much too slow to dodge. _Crap, he coordinated this with Uraraka!_ Acting quickly, he balled his right hand into a fist, brought it to his left palm, and aimed it towards the center of Izuku's attack. Katsuki originally developed this technique, the "AP Shot", to piece even a thick slab of concrete by focusing his blast much like a gun barrel. Here, it weakened Izuku's Delaware Smash enough that it didn't hurt him. The fragments that weren't caught in the blast nevertheless flew with remarkable speed and stuck him, leave him bruised in various places, however. "You're gonna regret pissing me off, Deku!" He had to end this quickly, because if Ochako was close, then Izuku could lead him into another trap of hers, one more devastating than flung debris.

Katsuki leapt and propelled himself with his Explosion Quirk. "Face me head on, you damned coward!" Izuku responded by sprinting towards him. He readied his palms, their radiation forewarning imminent blasts, and swung with his left. "DIE!" He expected Izuku to close the distance and attack with a lunge, and so, he had aimed his hand down as to adjust his trajectory, avoid the possible strike, and then counter with his own barrage of explosions. When Izuku instead slid across the floor and evaded him, Katsuki knew that something was wrong. He had started to redirect himself to charge after Izuku, unknowingly stopping his momentum directly under the hole in the ceiling. As he started to pick up speed again, Katsuki suddenly felt hands clasp his arms together, and a weight tackled him as he plummeted. He slammed into the floor, only to then start levitating just above it. Without so much as a glimpse, he identified his assailant. "U-Uraraka?!"

"Yep. I finally got you, Bakugou!" As much as he struggled, she had him pinned, and while his palms detonated over and over, his arms were held so they were unable to attack their captor.

He looked towards Izuku, who had picked up something on the floor. As Izuku leapt towards them, Katsuki identified what he picked up. _When'd I drop that?! Was it when I was struck by those chunks of concrete?!_ "N-no! You can't fucking do this! I won't lose in this shitty way!" He struggled to free himself of her grasp, but her Quirk left him unable to even twist and turn effectively. He attempted to kick his feet off the floor, but he kept hitting his knee guards against it, leaving marks on the floor as a reminder of his hot-headedness having hurt him yet again.

Izuku apologized, "Sorry, Kacchan, but we want to win too." He started unraveling the roll of tape, provided to each "hero" for the intention of capturing the "villains", and quickly wrapped it around Katsuki's wrists, binding them together.

* * *

In the basement, Toronoshi, surprised by the sudden turn of events, gave the announcement, "Katsuki Bakugou has been restrained by the villains. Thus, he is eliminated. Young Bakugou, please come down as quickly as you can without interacting with Iida." He thought, _Although he'll undoubtedly be furious given what happened to him before, I have to eliminate young Bakugou. Once a hero's been captured, they've been made a liability. These kids need to understand that._

The room exploded with chatter.

Eijirou exclaimed, "Whoa, they just… outmaneuvered and beat Bakugou!"

Mina whispered, "It was easy for them to make a plan to defeat Bakugou. It's because they know each other well. That's why it's up to us to get them together!"

Shouto stared at the monitors and contemplated, _So that's what cooperation based on complete trust looks like. It's adding your strengths together to cover your weaknesses_ _and to overcome great obstacles_. To his right, Momo finished analyzing the state of the building. Shouto, knowing that what she had to say was important, devoted his attention to her as she started speaking.

"All Might, may I interject?"

"Sure, young Yaoyorozu."

"After careful examination, I noticed that while Izuku left holes all around the building, they were not major enough to seriously affect its structural integrity."

"So they have. I'll have to give them credit for knowing how to keep the building stable."

Hanta commented, "Isn't Ochako's dad working in a construction company? Who's to say she didn't learn it from him?"

Momo considered the possibility. "True. After I chewed her out for rushing to save a victim during the license exam, it'd make sense that she asked her father to teach her about it. Given her Quirk, she'd be able to support a failing structure by levitating an object in the right spot to act as a brace."

As the class kept talking, Torinoshi deciphered their battle plan. _In this sort of situation, any hero would be forced to limit their Quirk for fear of causing the building to collapse. They've made a few piles of debris to distract Iida as they defeated Bakugou, and they sprinkled the lower floors with debris to delay his advance. The bomb's still near them, hidden on the fifth floor lying sideways under a layer of rubble against a wall, making it practically undetectable even if Bakugou had flown up to the fifth floor, which he didn't due to seeing and targeting Midoriya. What a terrifying strategy!_ Then, he thought back to what Izuku and Ochako asked of him before the trial started.

* * *

Izuku was the first one to come up to him, Ochako trailing behind him. In a hushed tone, he said, "All Might! May I ask if we can do something for this trial?"

He answered with a nod and responded in a similar tone, "Sure, young Midoriya. Just tell me what you'd like to do."

He rubbed the back of his head in anxiety as Ochako pressed her fingers against each other. "W-well, can we damage the building before the trial begins?"

A tense and lengthy second passed, teacher and student staring at each other, unsure of what to say next. Then, Torinoshi raised his hand, and without another moment's hesitation, he struck Izuku's forehead with a sudden chop. As Izuku cradled his head, dazed from the sudden blow, Ochako gingerly held his left arm and looked at their teacher in utter shock.

Resisting the urge to scream to the entire class, "Midoriya, have you forgotten about what I said the last time we've had this exercise?! You must use your powers _carefully_. I will _not_ let you collapse the building with everyone inside it!"

Ochako spoke up for her partner. "B-but we're only going to destroy parts of the walls and floor! We might destroy one or two pillars, but nothing that'd endanger the stability of the building."

Torinoshi rested a hand on his chin and contemplated. "Really? Well, using small pieces of debris to your advantage _is_ your modus operandi, young Uraraka, so depriving you of it would leave you at a big disadvantage. Personally, I've met villains that have destroyed their hideout in an attempt to ward or kill me, so it isn't too far-fetched of an idea… Fine, I'll allow it, but knowingly cause any serious damage to the building, and you two will be disqualified on the spot. In my current state, I'm unable to save you or your classmates if the building were to collapse. "

The duo was satisfied with his response, and then they walked back towards the desks, discussing their plans as they did. Torinoshi looked on and thought, _Whatever you're planning, I have confidence that you two can pull it off. You have each other's full support._

* * *

After they heard Torinoshi's voice on their transmitters, Ochako teased, "Guess what just happened?"

Katsuki slammed his head onto the floor in anger. "D-Dammit!" _I let it happen_ again _! While I was too focused on fighting Deku, he made sure Ochako could defeat me._ "Nothing's fucking changed!"

Izuku couldn't help but sympathize with the , now was not the time for feelings, for their second opponent would make his way here shortly. He called out to his partner, "Uraraka, we need to get ready. Iida will be here any second!"

"Alright, Deku, and call me Ochako! We're best friends, aren't we?" Izuku enjoyed seeing her brilliant smile, and now was no exception. Well, until he realized that he was staring.

"Y-yeah, we are." Izuku desperately tried to hide his sudden blush. _C'mon Izuku, we're best friends! Why is it so hard to call her Ochako, and why did I stare at her like that?_

Suddenly, Katsuki couldn't decide what was worse: being captured by Izuku and Ochako, or having to witness Izuku's half-assed attempt to dodge his feelings for her. After being freed, he decided that he couldn't stand another second with them, and so he moved to the basement with utter agility, having jumped out of the fourth-story window and used his explosions to slow his descent.

When Tenya, who was still on the second floor, heard the announcement, his mind started to race faster than his legs could ever hope to achieve. _Th-they've already captured Bakugou? They must have overwhelmed him together on the fourth floor! If they expected us to split up, they would've kept the bomb close by so I wouldn't uncover it as they fought him!"_

Although he would never run in U.A.'s hallways, the rules of etiquette hardly mattered in a life-and-death situation, which Tenya had embraced this exercise as. Still, the rubble scattered haphazardly made the use of his Quirk dangerous if he tripped and lost control of his momentum, and so he climbed two stories with his feet alone, eating up precious time.

As he climbed the staircase to the fourth floor, Tenya weighed his options. _I could try to use the capture tape I have to capture both of them with a single Reciproburst! However, if the floor is as littered as the lower floors, I run the risk of stumbling and losing control of my movement. Even then, while Uraraka will likely be caught, I run the risk of Izuku escaping and retaliating._

Tenya entered the room where Katsuki was defeated, only to hear the click of heels behind him. He swung around and kicked with his boosted right leg. As he turned, he saw a familiar mix of pink, black, and white. It was Uraraka, attempting to attack him from behind by pushing off from the wall and releasing her Quirk's hold on herself. Her face, void of its usual brightness and instead marred with creases of determination, looked as though she were attempting to kill him.

The attack had struck its target, but as Tenya feared, she had moved her arms towards his leg to brace herself against the blow, and she successfully latched onto it. Instantaneously made weightless while attached to Ochako, he couldn't resist being lifted off the floor as she was knocked back. Ochako grounded herself, and as she twisted her body to slam him on the floor, she cried out, "Sorry, Iida, but you're going down!"

Tenya, driven to win against his friend-turned-villain, turned his free leg towards his left, and he started using his Engine Quirk on his left calf. He grit his teeth as he felt his entire body spin. Ochako was lifted off the ground, and as he saw her face, now a portrait of pure panic, he thought, _I'm the one who should be sorry, Uraraka. However, if this is what victory takes, taking down a villain even if they are someone I know personally, then…_ He paused to watch Uraraka slam onto the floor, the sound of the impact rebounding throughout the building. He inhaled deeply and spoke,"As the heir to the name Ingenium, I will defeat you two!"

Tenya allowed himself a small grin. It was when he didn't stop floating that he rapidly realized the gravity, or lack thereof, of his situation. Ochako opened her eyes, dazed but still awake. He muttered, "B-but you should've hit your head and passed out. How are you still conscious?!"

Shaking her head, the initial shock had worn off on Ochako, and she rubbed her back as she responded, "Most of the force was spread throughout my back. You got me good there, Iida, but you failed to realize one thing." As she uttered that sentence, an aggressive smile plastered on her face, he heard boots squeak as Izuku leapt from the hole in the ceiling towards him. "I took the hit so I could immobilize you."

True to her word, Tenya, having now lost his horizontal velocity from his attack, attempted to propel himself forward with his engines, but he only succeeded in making himself spin about his center of mass due to being unadjusted to the lack of gravity. Leaping between the the floor and ceiling multiple times, Izuku unravelled the roll of capture tape and wrapped him in it.

Torinoshi spoke into the microphone once more. "Iida has been captured. Both heroes are now incapacitated, meaning the villains win this round!"

Izuku now quickly unwrapped Tenya as the latter sighed and remarked, "So we'd lost again…"

Ochako was back to her usual beaming self, offering him her right hand. "Don't sweat it, Iida! You did well to turn the tides against me back there!"

Izuku added as he grinned. "Yeah, you were able to manipulate your movement in the air to fling Ochako to the ground. You know how to use your Quirk much better than I do."

Tenya, now free to move his arms once more, rubbed the back of his head with his left hand in humility and took Ochako's hand with his right. "It wasn't just me who did well. You two performed marvelously as a team! I just hope that this is a learning experience for Bakugou in terms of cooperation. He's getting better at it, but he didn't even tell me that he'd engage you, Midoriya! If I had known, then I would've gone in search for Uraraka in order to defeat her while you were facing him."

Meanwhile, down in the basement, Katsuki scowled at the screens and muttered, "Tch. They're just lucky that I dropped my roll of tape. If Deku had to take it from me, I'd be able to turn the tides right then and there!"

Eijirou, unconvinced, rebutted his declaration. "Uh, Bakugou? Hate to break it to you, but it doesn't seem that there's much you could've done back there."

Denki added as he repressed a chuckle, "Yeah, you were flailing around like a fish on land, except you were floating _right_ above it."

The spiky-haired blonde shouted back, "You think this is funny, Kaminari? I'll fry your brain and then kill you!"

Torinoshi sighed and stated, "Young Bakugou, that is enough. Now, once the three students return, let us all head out for an undamaged building in order to start the next trial." _This is gonna be a long day, isn't it? Oh well, at least we got the most troublesome match out of the way._

The rest of the trials proceeded smoothly, but amongst the class, nearly everyone agreed that Izuku and Ochako made the best team there, not for their Quirks, but for their tenacity and to their chagrin, Mina accused them of being able to read each other's mind. They both denied the claim, explaining that they simply planned well ahead of time, but Ochako secretly wished she could read Izuku's mind. If she could do that, she'd finally learn the truth that Izuku was hiding from the class all this time, but then she'd be invading his privacy. He deserved the right to tell her himself, even if that day wasn't today.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows! I hope you've enjoyed today's story. I always wondered what would happen if the Battle Trials arc happened later, when the class has grown stronger, and so I wrote this for the "Tag Team" prompt. I always felt that my fight scenes end too quickly, but what do you guys think? Criticism is always welcome!**


	3. You Don't Fool Me (Quirks)

The first time she met Izuku, on the day of U.A.'s entrance exam, she stopped him from falling on his face with her Quirk. It was impossible for him to hide his nervousness with his stammering and shaking, and although Ochako wouldn't admit it back then, she found his honesty endearing. Hence why, when he toppled a robot, one massive enough dwarf the surrounding skyscrapers and send every participant into a state of flight, with a single punch in order to save her, she was surprised to find out that there was more to him than the simply being the skittish softie she saw earlier that day. What was more surprising was that, when she asked him why he was so inexperienced with his Quirk months after, he responded that he only recently learned that he had it. Ever since then, she suspected that there was more to Izuku's Quirk than having simply laid dormant for the past decade. After all, everyone else found out what Quirk they had when they were five at worst! When they were four, pediatricians would run a very simple and quick examination to determine whether or not a child had a Quirk: by checking to see if their smallest toe had a joint or not. If they did had the joint, they were born Quirkless, an increasingly rarer and rarer case with each generation. However, if the bones that made up the pinky toe fused together, thus eliminating the joint altogether, they had inherited a Quirk that was either from one of their parents or a mix of their parents'.

Ochako reasoned, _For someone as analytical as Izuku, he should've known what possible Quirks he might've been born with, and even if he didn't know, he should've tested everything to see what Quirk he has. Even then, super strength shouldn't take you a decade to discover, right?_ She'd ponder this often, but she could never reach a solid hypothesis, nor would she want Izuku's trust in her to wane because she asked him about his Quirk.

It was a normal night after classes for the two. Both unable to sleep but with nothing major to work on or to study for, they met up and relaxed in the common living room in their residence hall while everyone else was in their dorms. Ochako noticed that Izuku wore flip flops instead of slippers for once. She asked, "Hey, Izuku. What happened to your All Might slippers?"

He responded, "Oh, those? Well, I decided that today was a good time to wash them. Right now, I'm waiting for them to dry."

She nodded her head understandingly. "Alright. Well, since we're both here, why don't we watch a movie until we get tired?"

"Sure thing, Ochako! How about action?"

Thus, they decided to watch an action movie together. On the couch, they reveled in the adrenaline-generating fighting, and during a brief interlude from the action, Izuku yawned deeply and stretched his body. Ochako couldn't help but stop watching the movie in favor of absorbing the view of him. The arch of his back, his extended arms ending in curled fingers, seemed a touch cute to her and made the perfect scene to match his adorable yawn. She gazed at him from his hair down to his leg, and then she stopped. Ordinarily, his All Might slippers would conceal his toes, but the flip flops he wore that night left them exposed, and she watched as not eight, but ten toes curled inward. His feet were perfectly normal, but the fact that his pinky toes curled, albeit slightly, astonished her.

She didn't know what to make of this. What she just saw would indicate that Izuku didn't have a Quirk, but time and time again, he's showcased it and its destructive drawbacks. She pondered, _There's no way a person could be born without a Quirk only to be given one, right?_ However, she realized that the opposite, a person having their Quirk taken away, already existed. Even before Chisaki created Quirk-removing bullets, the Noumus deployed by the League of Villains had shown signs of carrying multiple Quirks, Quirks granted to them by their leader, All for One, who wielded an arsenal of Quirks himself, having taken them from various individuals. Abruptly, she realized, _If there's a Quirk that can take Quirks from others, then it's possible that there's a Quirk that gives them to others. Did Izuku stumble across someone like that? I have to know!"_

She grabbed the remote and paused the movie, much to Izuku's surprise. Confused, he asked, "What's the matter, Ochako? Is something wrong?"

She turned her body to face Izuku and responded, "Izuku, please be honest with me. How did you get your Quirk?" She was no longer the same girl eagerly watching a movie thirty seconds ago. Instead, her craving for entertainment was replaced by a far greater hunger, one that would not feel the slightest bit sated until she knew the truth.

Desperate, Izuku spat out the same excuse he had always used. "W-what?! I-I already told you, I just learned how to use it when I tried to save you. That's all." He wasn't lying, as that moment was the first time he used his Quirk, but he also hadn't explained how he had it.

Normally, she found it sweet that Izuku first used his Quirk as he rescued her, but now, she was unconvinced that he was simply born with it. Raising her left eyebrow and tilting her head to her right, she continued asking. "Really? Then why do your pinky toes still have the extra joint?"

"I-I…" The color drained from his face, telling Ochako that she was onto something big.

She continued, her eyes boring holes through him in an attempt to find the secrets he held inside. "If you were born with it, the toe joint should be gone, right? That's what we've been taught since we were four!"

Agitated, he shouted, "It's j-just that I was different in that case, okay?!" He turned away from her and shot up, ready to leave when Ochako seized his wrist and stood up.

He refused to look back as Ochako took a deep breath, exhaled as strongly, and whispered, "Izuku, I know you well enough to see that you're hiding something. I know you don't want to tell anyone, but it's not healthy to keep secrets this important from those close to you. I bet your mom's deathly worried that you'll hurt yourself permanently using a Quirk that's suddenly shown up after being missing for the past ten or so years without any explanation. I-"

Izuku hear a soft whimper, and he turned around in concern, and as he turned to face her, he saw tears starting to form around her eyes as she continued. "I know I am."

Izuku's eyes widened as he understood the emotional harm he's caused due to his reckless abandon, "O-Ochako…"

She started wiping away the droplets as more took their place at an increasing rate. Her cracked voice shattered Izuku's heart. "Ever since you saved me from the zero-point robot, I-I just wanted to know why your Quirk means so _much_ to you and why you'd use it to destroy yourself over and _over_ again. Am I so selfish to ask?!"

"Ochako!" Now shedding teardrops to match her own, he pulled her in and embraced her. "I'm the selfish one for keeping it to myself when you deserve to know the truth! I'll tell you the secrets of my Quirk now."

Ochako sniffled as she raspily whispered, "T-Thank you, Izuku." They kept holding each other, not caring that the tears soaked into their clothes, as their heat, their scents, and their voices started to sooth them, and they were locked in this tender embrace until their weeping had ceased.

They walked over to the individual seats, moving them so they could face each other. Once they sat down, they couldn't stop fidgeting around. The air felt suffocating, and neither one spoke for the fear of choking on their own words.

With a heavy sigh, Izuku smashed through the tension, having found the will to reveal the truth. "The name of my Quirk is One for All." He stared her in the eyes, determined to let her know the truth.

The parallel to the name of the villain All Might defeated in his final battle was not lost on her. "One for All? Does that mean-"

"Yes. One for All was a result of All for One's work. For one reason or another, he forced a power-stockpiling Quirk onto his brother, whom was assumed to be Quirkless."

"But he wasn't, right?"

"Correct. While All for One had the power to take and give Quirks, his brother only had the power to give his Quirk to others. While useless by itself, when the power-stockpiling Quirk was forced upon him, they combined to form the Quirk I now have. I used to be Quirkless, but now I am the ninth bearer of this Quirk, and the reason I fight so hard is to continue the legacy of those before me."

"Wait, how you pass it on?"

"It can only be passed on when I decide to pass it on. To do so, I have to have the person ingest some of my DNA. I was given a strand of hair by my predecessor." His face puckered up, much to her amusement. "It tasted _really_ sour, for some reason, but I was told that any form of DNA would work. Even a ki-" Both their faces became flustered as he took a moment to recompose himself. "Even swallowing my saliva should work, but only if I want it to. Since One for All is a Quirk that is passed onto others, it cannot be forcibly taken away."

The gears of individual stray bits of knowledge meshed with the new information Ochako just received, and in her mind, they started turning together to power her train of thought. _All Might seemed to have already known All for One when they fought. Their battle ended with him losing his Quirk. He's Izuku's idol, and there have been times when All Might personally called him to talk. They both have super strength, and it_ can't _be coincidental that All Might lost his only months after Izuku gained his._

Izuku, noting her silence and contemplative stare, asked, "Well, do you believe me?"

She nodded her head, but her face drew a frown. "Of course I believe you, Izuku. You're my best friend, after all. I just have another question in mind."

"Feel free to ask."

"It's about your predecessor, the eighth wielder of One for All. Is it All Might?"

Izuku was startled. "Wha- How'd you figure it out?"

"Well, it doesn't help that your powers are similar. The class even made a theory that you were secretly his child!"

Izuku covered his face in embarrassment. "Please don't remind me of that…"

"Still, being chosen by the top hero in Japan as his successor is nothing to laugh at. Did you tell anyone about this?"

"No, not even Mom knows about One for All. Kacchan is the exception, but All Might was the one to tell him about it after we fought each other late at night. He promised to keep this a secret. Do you?"

"Of course I'll keep your secret, Izuku." The two got up and embraced each other once more, basking in the warmth and comfort they felt as their anxieties started to melt away. Suddenly and unexpectedly, they heard the faucet turn on. They relinquished hold, and tiptoed towards the kitchen in the hopes of catching the lonesome wanderer. To their surprise, it was Koji Koda, who poured himself two glasses of water despite being the only one there.

Simultaneously, they asked, "Koda, what are you doing here?"

The timid boy yelped, his mountainous head trembling with fear. Then, he took a sigh and faced them. He picked up a glass and pointed in the general direction of his dorm. Then, his pointing hand extended both his index and middle finger out and made the motion of drinking the water with his curled fingers.

Izuku guessed, "Oh, so your rabbit was thirsty and you decided to get some water for the both of you?"

Furious nodding confirmed his hypothesis, and Koda quickly picked up both glasses and left for his room. The two waved him goodbye and simultaneously told him, "Good night!"

Then, Ochako nudged Izuku, making him turn towards her as she quipped, "Looks like I'm not the only one here who can make quick deductions."

Izuku chuckled and joked, "Don't you know me? I've been deducing since I got here!"

With a few final laughs, the two parted ways and went to bed. Although they were tired, Ochako sensed strength surge through her body, while Izuku felt as though a massive weight on his chest was suddenly negated. The feelings were temporary, but so would their absence. Tomorrow was but another day waiting to happen, one where they could enjoy the company of each other and the rest of their friends.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows! I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed the chapters so far! Just so you know, if I'm late to posting the next chapter, it's because I'm still writing it. Even if I don't get it done by tomorrow, I WILL finish it. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day/night!**


	4. These Are the Days of Our Lives (Dorm)

Mina Ashido always loved Sundays. Those were the days she could just sleep in, or if she woke up due to her normal schedule, she'd lay in her warm, cozy bed until the comfort lulled her back to sleep, not having to worry about responsibilities or school work until she was hungry enough to get out of bed. Hence, when her time of relaxation was abruptly ruined by the buzzing of her phone, she wasn't pleased in the slightest.

Checking her phone, she saw that Eijirou had called her. Annoyed beyond belief, she quickly swiped to the right and immediately screamed, "Don't you know NOT to call me before 11 A.M. on Sundays, Kirishima?!"

From the other side of the call, Eijirou winced from the sudden shouting and replied in a low whisper, "Uh, sorry about that, Ashido, but I've got big news!"

Skeptical, Mina curled her hair around her finger and asked, "Well, what is it that makes me waking up at 7 in the morning worth it?"

Mina laid her back on her bed as she heard Eijirou murmured, "It's about Midoriya and Uraraka! They're sleeping in the living room together!"

The pink-skinned girl shot up and yelled into her phone, "What?! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" She leapt out of bed, quickly put on slippers, and ran out of her room.

"S-sorry again, but I _just_ found them. Last night, I passed by them, and they told me they were watching a movie they didn't get to finish. I'm guessing they didn't get to see the end of it this time either."

As she entered the elevator and mashed the button for the bottom floor, Mina asked, "Did you take pictures?!"

Mina could picture his toothy grin as he replied, "You know it!"

"Great! Just make sure no-one wakes them up. I have to see this for myself!"

Surely enough, Mina made it into the living room only 3 minutes after she left her room, making sure to minimize the noise she made as she approached Eijirou, who was standing just in front of the couch. Once she was within a half-meter of him, she whispered, "Well?"

Eijirou beamed and pointed towards the ceiling. "See for yourself."

Mina craned her head upward and let out a gasp. Above him were Izuku and Ochako, the former floating just below the ceiling as the latter laid atop. Despite their awkward position, they both seemed at peace. Mina couldn't help but grin widely and think, _Oh. My. God. These sleeping cuties are just too_ adorable!

Eijirou tapped on her shoulder and said, "I actually almost missed them because they're so high up. Good thing I didn't." He paused for a moment before looking back towards the floating students and added, "Should we put the couch cushions under them so they'd have a soft landing when Uraraka stops her Quirk?"

Mina nodded, still burning the image of the two into her mind. "We should. Otherwise, they're just going to be angry that we did nothing to help them."

Suddenly, Izuku began to stir. Eijirou noticed this and muttered, "Crap, he's starting to wake up!" They quickly formed a layer of couch cushion directly underneath Izuku. Then, they stepped back as Izuku opened his eyes.

The last thing Izuku remembered before closing his then heavy eyelids was watching the movie he and Ochako had started a few days ago. Needless to say, when he opened them, he wasn't expecting to be centimeters from what seemed to be a wall. As his mind was shocked awake by the unexpected sight, he became aware of not only a lack of pressure on his feet, suggesting that he _didn't_ fall asleep standing up, but also a weight pressing down on his body from the chest down. Turning his head down, he saw Ochako nuzzled against his chest. His body froze as he realized, _O-Ochako and I fell asleep together!_ _I-I'm floating near the ceiling!_ Then, he stared at her, blushing as he examined her lax face with a small grin that leaked drool, and thought, _She's pretty cute while she's sleeping… Wait, what am I saying?! W-well, she probably didn't use her Quirk on herself, so I have to put her somewhere safe so she won't get hurt. I just have to make sure she doesn't wake up_ He clutched her in his arms, shifted his legs so they were to her right, and pressed his feet against the ceiling so he could use One for All to get back to the ground and place her onto the couch without waking her. However, as he moved his body about, the worst outcome for him happened as he caused Ochako to awaken.

Mina spotted this and whispered to Eijirou, "She'll see us. We need to hide." They tiptoed behind the couch, where they wouldn't be detected.

Ochako, expecting to wake up in her bed, didn't understand why her mattress suddenly started moving or grabbed her. Her eyes fluttered as she woke up, and raising her head, her eyes locked onto the person that was holding her. Her cheeks flared up with a sudden heat, and she stammered, "I-Izuku?! What's going on?"

Izuku's face paled as his eyes moved from the ceiling to her. "I-it's not what you think it is! I'm just trying to get us both down safely!"

She then became aware that they were, in fact, floating. If her arms weren't being bound to her body by Izuku, she'd slap herself in the face. Ochako muttered, "Ughhh. I used my Quirk _again_ when I fell asleep, didn't I?"

Izuku now stared at her, confused. "What?"

"You see, Izuku, when I fall asleep, I have the problem of activating my Quirk when I don't realize it. Sometimes, I even find myself floating above my bed. That's why I have mittens that I wear to bed, so I don't activate my Quirk. I just… wasn't expecting to fall asleep here."

"Really…" A small blush found itself on Izuku's face. _That's…_ very _cute._

With a playful tone, she stated, "Here. I'll release you. Just try to land on your feet!"

"Wait, Ochako! Let me prepa-" It was too late to stop her, for she already reached around him and pressed her fingertips together, thus canceling her Quirk. The two plummeted, but Izuku's quick reflexes ensured that he'd land on both of his feet. However, he wasn't aware of the cushions laid on the ground, and once he landed, his feet sank into them, and he fell backwards, taking Ochako with him as they landed on the couch cushions together with a soft thud.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, then she giggled and said, "I thought I told you to land on your feet!"

"H-hey, cut me some slack! I wasn't expecting to land on something soft!"

Ochako tilted her head to her left. "Huh, these seem like they're from the couch. Why are they on the floor?"

Suddenly, a snicker that had been repressed for the past minute had been released behind the couch. Their heads snapped to find Mina and Eijirou, the former holding her phone sideways towards them and the latter chuckling.

Eijirou told them, "I-I just can't. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't, but seeing you two fall onto the cushions we set up just made me laugh."

With lighting-fast movements, Izuku and Ochako let go of each other and the latter pushed away and fell backwards. Both teens blushed a shade of red darker than Eijirou's dyed hair.

Ochako asked, "Mina, were you recording us this entire time?!"

The horned girl responded, "Yep. You two were _adorable_ sleeping together. Made waking up at 7 worth it!"

The brunette scowled as she turned towards her and stood up. "Are you going to delete it right now or do I have to take your phone and do it myself?"

Mina's answer was to slide towards the elevator at a high speed using an incredibly weak acid that worked fantastically as a friction-reducing fluid, and she called out, "Kirishima! Hold them back! I've got to make sure everyone sees this!"

"Izuku, we have to stop her!" Ochako approached Eijirou, and as he tried to hold her back, she sidestepped and avoided his grab. In turn, she touched him, making him float.

The redhead called out to the friend that had reached the elevator and mashed on the up button in a hurry. "Carry on without me, Ashido!"

Looking behind her, Mina gasped as she saw Izuku leap across the room ready to tackle her. Acting quick, she formed a thick barrier between them from an acid that solidified quickly.

Izuku frowned and turned his body so he'd kick through the shield. However, once he landed, he found himself restrained. He realized, _No, this wasn't a wall. It was a trap! She made her acid incredibly sticky so I'd be unable to move!_ The hero-in-training looked up and saw his target close the elevator doors, winking and giving him a peace sign as the doors shut.

If he could move, Izuku would've collapsed in utter shame for losing so easily. Ochako saw his disappointment and sighed, releasing her Quirk and letting Eijirou fall with a short yelp and a heavy thud. She walked up to Izuku and laid four of her five fingers on a part of Izuku's shoulder that lacked the sticky solution.

She comforted him, telling him, "It's alright. We'll just have to find a way to explain this to the rest of our class. Now let's get you out of here! I'm sure Ashido meant no harm and made this dissolvable in water." Once he was freed, the remaining three students immediately worked on cleaning the living room before Katsuki could see the mess and angrily tell them to clean it.

That Sunday, all Class 1-A would talk about was Izuku and Ochako. Many who saw the video simply flashed a knowing smile, but others had their own choice of words. Tenya reprimanded them for not only sleeping on the couch, telling them what awful pain it'd cause to their backs, but also for sleeping without a blanket because they'd run the risk of getting sick. Katsuki, having grown tired of hearing about those two, would scream at anyone who tried to bring it up while he was in earshot, while for the rest of the day, Minoru Mineta would stare into the distance and murmur, "Lucky bastard."

All this attention for a complete accident mortified Izuku and Ochako. Thankfully, they still had the comfort of knowing that nobody else knew that they worked out together on Mondays and Wednesdays. They put so much effort in hiding it from everyone, to the point where Ochako would tell them that she would head to Gunhead's dojo to work on her Gunhead Martial Arts, when in reality, she went to the same place as Izuku, who told the guys that he preferred working out by himself, for exercise. Hopefully for them, no one would connect the dots tomorrow, and they could stay fit in peace.

* * *

 **Hello, fellows! I'm sorry for posting this late into the day. Today's been a busy day for me, and this was the first chapter of this story that I hadn't mostly written in advance. Despite the rush against time, I hope you enjoy it regardless. I'll get to work on the next chapter after this is posted, so I hope to get it in sooner tomorrow.**


	5. Somebody to Love (Growing Feelings)

Izuku and Ochako started working out at the gym together only recently. With both of them incorporating bench presses into their regular workout, it made sense for them to be each other's spotter, even if their Quirks would negate most of the risk that came with that particular exercise. As their unknowing classmates might've expected, their first session was an unproductive mess. They started off well on the treadmills, but as they started sweating, they were suddenly too captivated by the way the light glistened on each other's skin to want to exercise anymore, instead stewing in their own embarrassment for staring. However, Izuku and Ochako were determined to make it work, and as they kept working out together, they grew just as comfortable seeing each other exert themselves as they would seeing each other during class.

Ochako was a tad jealous of Izuku. It wasn't because of his Quirk, One for All, however. Instead, it was the innate strength he had. One day, as they took a short break between exercises, she asked him, "How did you get those muscles, Izuku? I can't imagine that you've spent your whole life building it up."

Izuku, who was in the middle of sipping from his water bottle, stopped drinking to face her. "All Might had me go through a rigorous training regimen to build up muscle so One for All wouldn't just cause my body to blow up the first time I used it."

She winced, "That's… unsettling."

"Hey, you were the one to ask! Why did you want to know anyway?"

Ochako rubbed the back of her head, her rosy cheeks slightly darkening, as she answered, "Well, I wanted to become as strong as you! Without using any Quirks, at least." Then, she got excited as she started moving her body to compliment her words. "But! Could you imagine if I not only toss a villain a kilometer away, but throw them really fast, like a baseball?!"

Izuku sweat-dropped at the implications. "I'm pretty sure you'd get in trouble if you threw somebody through a wall. Also, wouldn't you muscles show because of your hero outfit?"

"Showing my muscles helps with intimidation, y'know? Being stronger would also help me keep people pinned or move large objects with ease."

Izuku looked at her skeptically, but he kept a smile. "You move large objects more easily? Right, said the girl who swung a concrete pillar like a bat the first time we fought together."

"Look, just… help me get stronger, okay? Until I can push the limits of my Quirk far beyond what they are now, I'll have to fall back on my physical strength when I near my limit."

"Alright. All Might had me clean Dagobah Municipal Beach Park, but seeing as that's finished, I'll have to find some other way to train you."

Ochako stared at him in amazement. "No way! You were the person that removed all the junk that was there?!"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. Say, how about we train in the abandoned junkyard All Might had me send the trash to? I'm sure no one'll mind!" Ochako flicked his nose with her fingers. He yelped, covered his nose, and asked, "Why'd you do that, Ochako?!"

Ochako shook her head and responded, "Of course nobody would mind, you just said it was abandoned!"

He blinked and then rubbed the back of his neck as he muttered. "I-I guess I _did_ just say that… Oh! We should get back to exercising!"

Ochako nodded. "Yeah!" They then went back to working out as normal, but they each thought of what this agreement would mean for them.

The next day after school, Izuku handed several pages that were stapled together and littered with words and numbers to Ochako, which baffled her.

She held up the packet, which read _Training Infinity_ on the front in a much larger font than the rest of the page and in bold, and asked, "What is this?"

"I told you that I'd think of a training regime suited to your specific needs, and so I spent a good portion of last night planning it."

She flipped through the pages, glancing at dates, little notes left by Izuku, and even goals such as how much muscle she should have at a given point. It was well-detailed and spanned for eight months. "Izuku, this… I don't know what to say."

"It's nothing much, really. I based it off All Might's plan for me, just taking into account that you have more muscle mass now than I did starting off. We'll start tomorrow and work according to the schedule."

Ochako examined the schedule and responded, "That's not what you did when you trained, is it?"

"Wh- How did you know?"

"Izuku, everyone in our class know you well enough to know that you'd go beyond what you were told to do, even if it'd hurt you. I don't want to stick to guidelines like this. I want to push myself like you do." _Your determination is one of the things I admire about you, after all,_ she thought.

Izuku grinned, took the paper, and tore it apart. "Good. I'd thought you'd say that." After dumping the pieces into a nearby trash can, he turned back to her. "However, promise me that you'll be serious about this."

"Don't worry, I will."

He solemnly spoke, "You _do_ know what this entails, right? You'll have to work every day to improving yourself."

She nodded her head. "Yes, I will."

"You'll have to make sure the training won't wear you out and impair your schoolwork."

"Yes, yes."

"Finally…"

"I get the point, Izuku. I'll do what you say."

"You'll have to regulate your meals, so no more excessive snacking on fatty foods."

Ochako glared at him, her face exposing her feeling of betrayal. "… Izuku, _why_?"

Izuku stared at her undeterred. "Ochako, if you want to build muscle, you need to control your metabolism, and snacking often slows it down. I seen you eat just because you were bored!"

Defensively, she replied, "I-I've had to starve myself to save money back when I lived in an apartment by myself, alright?! That was to make up for it! Can't I indulge every once in awhile?"

Her eyes grew as she started to tear up, and he stared into her puppy-dog eyes, trying to get her to understand, but instead he was the one to yield. He sighed and told her, "Fine, fine. Once per week, you may have a cheat meal."

Ochako jumped and hugged him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Izuku! I promise I won't let you down!" For some reason, Izuku wished she wouldn't let go.

After Tuesday came Wednesday, and after classes ended, the pair wandered into the abandoned D.S. dump, where it had once had business as a waste-compacting facility until the massive and only trash compactor it had jammed. Without the methods of easily and cheaply fixing it, the owners decided to move elsewhere. It was also too far for those close by to easily dispose of their trash, and so it became void of activity until Torinoshi used it to house the waste that once covered Dagobah Municipal Beach Park. He had planned for it to be transported to the city for proper disposal, but Izuku felt sentimental value from the junk he had hauled and asked his idol to hold it off so he might use it to train from time to time. As strange as the request was, Torinoshi decided to honor it.

Ochako watched as Izuku pulled out a pair of latex gloves from his backpack. He told her, "Put these on."

She took them and looked at him skeptically. "What? You think I'm going to use my Quirk on them?"

"Hey, it's not your fault that your only method of activating your Quirk is using all five of your fingers. For some of these pieces of junk, I'd recommend you use them as you carry them. Also, it's _junk_. Do you really want to handle them with your bare hands?" Izuku could sense the hypocrisy in his last question.

"Fine, I'll put them on. Now, what should we start with?"

Izuku scanned the area before resting his eyes on a particular pile in the corner of the dump, twice as high as they were tall. He pointed towards it and said, "That pile. Move it to the other side of the junkyard."

Ochako looked to it for a few seconds only to snap her head back to him and stare it him as if he told her to turn it into gold. "Izuku, I know you want the best for me, but you're asking me to carry washing machines, grills, and at least one car engine."

Izuku retorted, void of humor, "And I had to carry All Might on my back on my first day. Did you know that he weighs at least 250 kilograms?! I'm just starting you off easy so I can gauge your capabilities."

After moving several piles of junk in for three hours, Ochako, holding a towel drenched in sweat, staggered towards the front door to their residence hall before feeling her left leg buckle, making her fall to the floor. Izuku, who had moved the piles of junk back to their original spots as she moved more, was in a far better condition as he held out his hand and asked, his voice teeming with concern, "Was that too hard for a first day? If you want, I'll tone it down tomorrow."

Ochako chuckled as she grabbed his hand and raised herself up. "Heh, no thanks, Izuku. If I'm going to become a pro and help my parents one day, I need to not only push myself physically, but also mentally."

Izuku couldn't help but smile in response, thinking, _Even now, she hasn't forgotten why she became a hero in the first place. Some people say that working for money is wrong, but I can't imagine a more noble cause. There are many jobs that earn as much money without putting your life on the line, but Ochako chose to risk hers to not only help her parents, but also save others in the process. She wants to better herself to make sure she can do so, and that's one of the things I lo-_ He stopped himself, shaking his head before continuing. _I admire her for doing so. Love? There's no way she could love me like_ that _, right? I'm her best friend, and if she finds someone she loves like that, I should support her all the way through._ As they said their goodbyes and walked to their dorms, Izuku questioned his last thought, and he didn't know why the idea of her being with someone else hurt so much.

The training turned out to be as effective on her as Izuku, and after a few months passed, Ochako's body had gained plenty of muscle. Her development was not lost on her classmates, and one day, as the class changed into hero outfits, she heard Mina whistle and ask, "Hey, Uraraka, how'd you get so buff? I'm not trying to insult you or anything, but dang, you're the most muscular one out of us girls!"

Ochako lightly blushed from the attention and responded, "Well, I just found myself an instructor who could help me build up strength. There are still limits to a Quirk, after all, so I decided to train my body."

"Really, who?"

Tsuyu Asui had abruptly butted into the conversation. "It's Midoriya."

Ochako felt the blush surge and spread as she shouted, "W-What?! N-no, he's-"

"Then why do I constantly see you two come back together with sweat-soaked towels?"

Mina lacked inhibition or mercy as she gained a sadistic smile to rival Midnight and jumped on the opportunity to tease her. "Ah, yes, _training_. I don't know how you're able to withstand such _rough_ sessions with him."

Ochako blushed a shade of red she didn't know she could blush. She tried to steady her breath as Momo intervened. "That's enough, Ashido. Can't you see that you're making her uncomfortable?"

Mina rested her hands on her hips and pouted. "C'mon, Yaoyorozu. I can't be the only one to ship them."

"They are our classmates. We must respect them and their feelings for each other."

Mina sighed in defeat. "Fine, got it. I'll try to stay away from your love life, Ochako."

Mina had lied, and she and Kirishima soon got more supporters from their class to get them together. At one point, she and Kirishima had made plans with Ochako and Izuku respectively to visit a new restaurant, but then they didn't show up, leaving Izuku and Ochako alone with a reservation for a table for two under Izuku's name. To their disappointment, that did not get them to confess, but the two enjoyed their time together.

Seven and a half months and after the Training Infinity plan began, Ochako had finally finished her regime with flying colors, having shaved off two weeks out of sheer will. Izuku looked at her with pride as she stood atop a massive mound of mangled metal she built herself, screaming into the scarlet sunset. He wondered if this was how Torinoshi felt when he saw Izuku the morning of the U.A. entrance exam. With One for All, he leapt to the pile and landed next to her.

After she finished screaming, now gasping for air, he spoke. "Feels great, doesn't it? I remember doing this the day we met."

Ochako replied, "Yeah, I really don't want us to stop doing this." They watched as the sun sunk below the horizon together. "I wish we wouldn't have to stop training together."

"Who said we _had_ to stop? There's always our Quirks. We could start developing those together."

"We've always worked well together, haven't we, Izuku?"

"Yes. In fact, it's because you went through this training plan that I decided to build up muscle as well." Now that Ochako looked at him carefully, she saw that he was right. He was indeed more ripped that he was when they started. The two had grown taller as well over the past months.

Ochako smiled at his statement and asked, "Well, if we're so good at being partners on the battlefield, why not officially be partners in life?"

Izuku stared at her, unsure of where she was taking this conversation. "Ochako, what do you mean?"

The training not only strengthened her body, but her mind as well, giving her the fortitude to say, "I meant as a couple, silly. We've been best friends for so long, why not take the next step?" Then, her courage dissolved like finely ground salt in the ocean as she saw Izuku blush, making her blush in kind. "I-if that's alright with you, after all."

"Ochako… I agree."

The tension in the air was overcome with a current of relief as the two started beaming. She asked, "R-really?"

"Yes. All this time, I kinda felt my heart want to squeeze itself shut when I was around you. At first, I thought it was because you were the first girl I became friends with, Ochako, but recently, I had those feelings well up inside me again. Now, I know it's love."

"Let me confess something as well. I first saw you as a role model, Izuku. I didn't even know I had a crush on you before Aoyama suggested it to me. Afterwards, I kept getting flustered even being near you, and then, when we took the test for our hero license, I decided that love would get in the way for both of us, and I didn't want you to suffer because of me. That's why, when you said that I was your best friend, I latched onto that idea, and I didn't think of love anymore until now. Now, I want us to be even more."

As the sun disappeared from the sky, the two hugged as they did many times before, only to stop so they could stare into each other's eyes. Then, they shared an awkward yet tender kiss, cementing that they had gone beyond friends.

After that night, it was Ochako's idea to keep their relationship a secret simply to get revenge on Mina and Kirishima for trying to force their love. They'd admit that they also found their attempts to get them together fun, though. Their peers, much to their utter relief and joy, found out in junior year, however, when they decided to reveal their status as a couple. Time flied by, and before they knew it, it was time for them to leave the school they could call their hero academia. Although still young, Izuku and Ochako had grown into great heroes, with the former gaining a reputation as the "Second Coming of All Might", and so had the rest of their class. However, evil would never rest, only grow stronger in the shadows where the light of society could not find it, biding its time, watching carefully for the perfect moment to strike.


	6. Too Much Love Will Kill You (Loss)

**A/N: Hello, fellows! Pardon me for putting the notes at the beginning of the chapter this time, but I decided it'd be best for you to finish the chapter and be left to your thoughts, not then have to read what I have to say. I'm glad to have started writing again, and it saddens me a bit knowing that this story will end tomorrow. But enough about me, I hope you enjoy today's chapter!**

* * *

Once a person who lacked experience and strategic thinking, Tomura Shigaraki grew smarter and stronger ever since that fateful day where he, Kurogiri, the Noumu created to counter Japan's number one hero, and a swarm of miscreants picked off the streets invaded U.A.'s Unforeseen Simulation Joint. That day was the day he first met Izuku, who nearly died trying to attack him in order to save his classmate, Tsuyu. That day, they attempted to kill All Might, but had failed because his sheer will overpowered Noumu, nullifying its shock absorption and sending the monstrosity flying for hundreds of meters before it landed. Since then, Tomura wasted valuable and high-ranking villains like they were pawns in a game of chess. It was allying with and subsequently taking down the Eight Precepts of Death that made him reevaluate his strategies. He realized that, in order to take down a legion of heroes and assert his rule over Japan, and then the world, he truely needed did need a league of villains, and so he decided to wait in the shadows, subjugating heroes in the dark and adding more and more villains to his ranks.

After the utterly crushing Chisaki's life, Tomura was handed a letter by Kurogiri. It was written by All for One using a special pen that heated ink to the point where he could detect it on the paper with one of his many taken Quirks, Infrared Rays, and Kurogiri was told to give it to him when he finally showed the sadistic yet pragmatic nature of a true villain. Holding the paper with all but his pinky, Tomura read what it said from his left hand.

* * *

 _Dear Tomura,_

 _If you ever read this, and I am not standing by your side, then the worst outcome has occurred. I'll have lost to All Might or his successor by now and then imprisoned in Tartarus. I will be unable to use my Quirks without dying, and I must warn you to never even think of freeing me. I groomed you to be my successor, the man who will inherit All for One, but I realized long ago that you and All for One are simply incompatible. No matter how I've tried to train you, you've shown no ability to completely halt your Quirk. In order to take and give Quirks, I've always had to maintain complete contact between my hand and the target for it to succeed. Even if you minimize your decay, it would still break up the bond for a consequential amount of time. In other words, while All for One will allow you to house numerous Quirks, you'll never be able to utilize its full potential. You simply lack the control, and if at the time I am imprisoned, I will be too weak to fight, and I_ will _be a liability. Again, I apologize for misleading you so, and I hope you will grow into a villain worthy of being called my successor._

 _Your mentor,_

 _All for One_

* * *

After reading that parchment, Tomura wanted to disintegrate it for mocking him, but it was also the last thing he had of his teacher. All this time believing that he could have everything he could ever want, power, vengeance, control, and he'd be stuck with only his Disintegration Quirk for the rest of his life?! He saw how Izuku took on Chisaki with his full potential. Tomura defined his nemesis as the ultimate example of an unwinnable boss fight, one that you had to beat if you wanted to win the game called "life", but the creator never wanted you to win in the first place! Even before All Might's successor, he'd have to face numerous foes that could easily defeat him, like Snatch, the hero that could turn himself into sand, thus making his Quirk useless.

For the first time in months, Tomura utterly lost his temper. He flung the paper aside and started disintegrating sides of walls, furniture, any inanimate thing he could get his hands on. Then, he stopped his rampage as he heard a crinkle, and as he looked down, he saw the letter he had thrown under his foot. His red sneaker now covered his mentor's signature, and the visible sentence above his sole had the word "control".

Suddenly, clarity came to Tomura as he thought, _Of course, I spent so much time trying to minimize the amount of damage that I never thought to working on_ maximizing _my DPS!_ A wicked and sadistic grin crawled its way from ear to ear, and Tomura couldn't stop laughing as his plans to improve himself developed. Within a year, if he willed it, a square meter of material could disintegrate within half a second. He discovered that he could manipulate the direction his decay could travel, and just as waves are small and grow until just before crashing on a surface, he found a way of decaying an area distant from the point of contact through sending "waves" that would slowly decay along the path they traveled until collecting and creating a massive spike in destruction at the destination.

Then, Tomura discovered the secret of the Quirk-nullifying bullets. The recipes were all in the notes Chisaki had stowed away underneath the padding for their respective vials. They and their antidote were developed by mixing chemicals with the blood of Eri, the granddaughter of the previous head of the yakuza. What caught Tomura's eye was a note saying that the Quirk-nullifying bullet and the antidote worked because of the Quirk factor present in Eri's blood. The former used the Quirk factor kept alive inside the bullet to reverse the Quirk factor in a person completely and almost permanently before white blood cells could destroy it, while the latter let the consumer temporarily use a small fraction of Eri's Quirk to bring their body back to a state where they had their Quirk, also healing non-permanent injuries in the process. While he couldn't make more of the Quirk-nullifying bullets due to not having Eri with him, Tomura saw the potential this new information had.

Tomura immediately had scientists that had sworn their loyalty to him start working on more bullets and concoctions, substituting Eri's blood with his own. To his utter ecstasy, the substitute worked as intended. Although useless on inorganic materials, the Atrophy bullets, as he called them, created 5-centimeter wide holes in test subjects that would never heal naturally. The concoctions, though they took countless more tests to perfect, allowed others to use Tomura's Disintegration Quirk for a total of 2 hours before disappearing. While far weaker and uncontrollable unlike Toruma's Quirk now, the brew, if made in large enough batches, could equip an army with the same Quirk, and unlike giving another person a Quirk, which immediately ran the risk of turning them into a nearly brain-dead puppet, a person could consume and hold three Quirks in addition to their own before going into a coma due to the mind and body being incapable of holding such power. It didn't even have to be his Quirk! Kurogiri's, Dabi's, even one as specific as Himiko Toga's could be utilized by another at the cost of overall effectiveness and increased limitations.

* * *

Just as Izuku's class would graduate, making them proper heroes to the world, the League of Villains chose that day to make it known as the organization to bring humanity under its iron heel. The day was golden for the graduating class, the sun high in the sky as it bathed everyone in the Sports Festival Stadium in a pleasant warmth. As Izuku took his place on the podium, and as he was about to give his speech to not only the students, staff, and parents, but to the world, phones started buzzing throughout the audience. Knowing that there was no coincidence that all these alarms went off, they checked their phones with dread, and the crowd read the urgent message, _Tokyo under attack! Villains are everywhere as buildings suddenly collapse and people are mowed down with bullets that create holes in them!_ Then, without warning, U.A collapsed in the distance. As everyone turned to the noise in horror, black mist collected in many locations in front of students and faculty alike, sucking them away to unknown places.

As the black mist cleared, Izuku opened his eyes to find himself looking towards Tokyo Tower, glowing orange not because of lighting but from the top half being lit on fire. The heavy odor of sulfur and smoke made him almost throw up, and as he nearly didn't turn around. When he did, he saw the rest of Tokyo in flames, corpses with holes in their bodies lining the streets and the rubble of the buildings burning, adding to the dark cloud over the city. A maniacal laughter echoing throughout the ruins made him turn back to its source, who stood in front of the burning landmark.

His face pale even amongst the flames and wrinkled despite his youth, Tomura taunted, "Like what you see, Deku? Call it a graduation present from the League of Villains!" He no longer had the hand of his late father clasp his face, and in turn, he seemed to have lost the last grasp he had on his humanity.

For the first time in years, Izuku had the fear that everyone he knew would die. "Wh-what? H-how? How did you do all of this?!"

Tomura's smirk did not belong on a human being. Rather, it belonged on a monster incomprehensible by mortal eyes. "Thank Chisaki for it! Without his work, I never would've discovered a potion that could temporarily give others Quirks!"

His face grew pale as he heard it. "Y-you've given the League Quirks?!"

"Yep. While weaker, they get the job done. For example, warping your friends and the other heroes present was done by Kurogiri and a dozen villains given his Quirk. Causing U.A. to crumble was all my doing, though. I myself have some extra powers to deal with you!"

Met with the face of complete destruction, mayhem and inhumanity, Izuku glared at him as he stood up and readied himself for combat. "I am Deku, the Second Coming of All Might! I don't care what it'll take if you'll be defeated once and for all!"

Tomura looked past Izuku, and moved his hand to his waist. "I'll try not to kill you first. Instead…"

A familiar voice screamed out in the distance. "Izuku!" The hero turned around to see Ochako standing far behind him to his right, holding a wounded and unconscious child.

To his horror, Izuku heard the click of a gun. He turned back as Tomura declared, "I'll watch you suffer as you fail to protect the one you hold dear!" As Tomura pulled the trigger, Izuku chose between himself or Ochako and the child.

He dove at Tomura, the bullets sinking into his left arm, right leg, and left foot. He didn't register the pain as an arm, leg, and foot flew off and collided with the floor, no longer attached to him. All he cared about was stopping Tomura. He brought his head back, only to slam it into Tomura's as he cried out, "HOUSTON HEADBUTT!" Tomura was sent flying and smashed through several buildings, destroying his automatic gun in the process, but not him.

Absolutely horrified, Ochako nearly dropped the civilian she held as she ran over to Izuku, who now laid on the floor, blood gushing from the holes left in him. She set the child against a wall as she turned him around to face her and held him in her lap.

She wailed, "I-Izuku, speak to me!"

Miraculously, he opened his eyes. He stuttered, "O-O-Ochako, you're safe…"

In spite of the tears that started to flow, she kept her eyes wide open. "Y-you reckless idiot! Why couldn't you save yourself? I-I have to get you to the nearest hospital!

His remaining arm lifted to hold her face. "Ochako, please. I need you to do me a favor."

"W-What is it?"

"I'd like to kiss you one more time."

She honored his request, and they shared a kiss, notable from the innumerable amount they had given each other due to the dire situation and for the fact that Izuku was far more forceful this time. As they did after their other kisses, they swallowed.

Ochako looked at him with curiosity and urgency as she ran through the ruins of Tokyo with Izuku in one arm and both his remaining leg and the child in the other. "That was great, Izuku, but c'mon! Izuku, you _can't_ die on us! We need you! You were going to succeed All Might!"

Izuku warmly smiled at her, declaring, "And you're going to succeed me."

In any other occurrence, she would've been honored. Instead, she was mortified. "Wh-What?! N-No, Izuku, don't do this! Don't accept the possibility that you'll die! You were my inspiration! You can't die on me!" Her distress skyrocketed exponentially as he passed out. In panic, she felt unimaginable power surge through her legs. Her life flashed, taking her back to a date at a restaurant with Izuku.

* * *

As the couple ate delicious soup and fancy entrees together, they couldn't help but think that Mina and Eijirou had good taste in restaurants. With the table to themselves, Ochako decided to ask a question that had been bothering her.

As Izuku brought another spoonful of soup to his mouth, Ochako interrupted him, whispering, "Izuku, can you tell me what's it's like to use your Quirk? How do you even summon such amazing strength?"

Izuku blinked before putting down his spoon, grinning, and replying, "W-well, I pictured an egg in a microwave, almost ready to blow up, but not quite."

She stared at him for a second before asking, "Wait, you're serious?!" She started to chuckle at Izuku's expense. " _That's_ how you used your Quirk?" With an intense glare from her boyfriend, she stopped. "Okay, okay, Izuku. I'll stop laughing. How about your Full Cowl?"

Hesitantly, he told her, "… I think of myself as frozen taiyaki in a microwave. To cook fully but not burn, I let myself be covered evenly in th-"

Ochako burst out laughing, much to the annoyance of the staff and patrons alike. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, but _taiyaki_?! Why do your analogies involve food and microwaves?!"

Izuku retorted, "If you find it so funny, why not make your own analogies?"

After being given time to think and breathe, she quietly answered, "Well, I'd think of summoning that power like being crushed by a heavy weight, but pushing up against it, even as you hear your bones rattle. As for Full Cowl, I'd use my Quirk as an example. I'd say that it'd be like me resisting to throw up as I make myself float, trying to hold it inside as my entire become unbounded by gravity."

Izuku stared at her, wide-eyed, "That's… better than mine."

"See, I knew I could do better!"

After their date, she didn't think much of her answer for years.

* * *

Instantly, Ochako realized how she'd handle this newfound power. She felt her bones creak, but she withstood the force as she lifted off the ground, jumping ten meters into the air. Then, she found the same will to resist being torn to shreds as she did resisting the urge to vomit, and a white lightning with a hint of pink covered her legs as she landed and leapt again. She scanned the horizon for a building that still stood up, one that might've housed people who could treat her dying love. She thought, _Don't worry, Izuku. I'll make sure you live!_

In the distance ahead, she saw a horrible figure. There was no doubt that it was Tomura. Landing and stopping her momentum, she rested the two behind a building before walking close to him. Then, she saw the faintest movement from him and dodged to the side with lightning speed.

Turning around, she saw maddening eyes that bore into her soul. Showing few signs of damage after Izuku's Houston Headbutt, Tomura yelled, "What?! There's no way you could've dodged that unless…" His eyes widened as he continued, "Deku! That self-sacrificing shit gave you One for All, didn't he?! Even so, there's no way you should be able to use it!"

Ochako scowled at him as the pinkish lightning enveloped her body. "That's where you're wrong, Shigaraki. Izuku, whether even he knew it or not, prepared me as his successor should anything happen to him. In his name, I, Uravity, the Infinity Girl, will put an end to the terror you've created!"

As they both prepared themselves to attack each other with open hands, Tomura muttered, "Isn't this a funny twist of events? One touch, and either of us are as good as finished. Too bad your words are as empty as your head!"

He placed his hands on the ground, and Ochako felt the earth rumble as the road gave way to a sinkhole he created. Acting quickly, she leapt off the concrete she stood on and landed outside of the hole. To her left was a manhole. She ripped the cover off, making it weightless as a result, and she hurled it at an amazing speed for something of its weight. She knew that Izuku spoke of his power output in increments, but not knowing her full power, she couldn't gauge how much of One for All she used, only that it was likely weaker than Izuku's 10% Full Cowl. However, one of Tomura's temporary Quirks let him dodge the disk of death with breakneck speed, and he decayed the frame of the building next to him so it would fall upon her.

She leapt towards a long steel beam from another building, activated Zero Gravity, and shoved it into the collapsing structure, her Quirk forcing the beam to support the building enough to give her a clear path to the leader of the League of Villains. She rocketed forward, and he put his right hand out to grab her. Her Gunhead Martial Arts instinctively activated, as One for All accelerated not only her body, but her mind. She grabbed his right arm and flung him to the ground using both Zero Gravity and One for All.

Tomura choked out, "N-no…"

Ochako had only one thought in her mind as she prepared to deal the finishing blow. _He can't be allowed to live. Even if he deserves to suffer for the rest of his life, there's too much to lose if he lives!_ With all the air in her lungs, she primordially roared, "SOLAR SYSTEM SMASH!" As her right fist landed into Tomura's back, her sleeve ripped apart as her bones fractured from the full use of her Quirk. For a millisecond, his body expanded and then contracted as his broken bones and burnt flesh tried to regenerate. Then, his body rocketed into the sky with enough speed to create a massive sonic boom. While the incomprehensible amount of air friction turned him red-hot, it was not enough to stop his momentum. He pierced the veil of toxic smoke covering the sky and opened a hole, revealing the blue sky. Tomura went beyond the stratosphere, the mesosphere, even the exosphere, and hurled into space, never to return to Earth.

Ochako stood there, regaining her senses as her knees gave out and she cradled a ruined arm. For a minute, she sat there in quiet pain, but she felt dread as she heard explosions advance towards her. Then, she heard a familiar voice.

"Deku, you piece of shit! I know you defeated Shigaraki! I've met up with the rest of the class!" It was Katsuki, coming to find them.

She yelled, "Bakugou! Over here!" Ochako found the strength to stand up and retrieve Izuku and the child she rescued. She saw Izuku looking around the corner, absolutely beaming.

As she carried him in her functioning arm, he told her, "I knew you'd do it. Thank you, Ochako…" He had gone limp after, that and his facial expression refused to change.

Katsuki landed next to her, shouting, "I told you before, Uravity! While on the field, call me-" His voice died out as he saw Ochako carry the bloody and mangled body of his rival. "D-Deku?! What the hell happened?!"

She solemnly replied, "He got shot with bullets that caused his limbs to decay as he protected me and the person I rescued. Then, he gave me One for All so I could defeat Shigaraki." Then, she gestured towards the unconscious child and ordered, "You carry the kid. I have to get him to a hospital _now_!"

Katsuki wanted to believe that this was all a big fucking lie, that this was some damned nightmare he could wake up from. He knew he treated Izuku like shit, and after seeing him grow into an outstanding hero much like their idol, All Might, he regretted ever telling Izuku to go kill himself, ever shouting at him to die. Now, he didn't want him to die. He pointed towards the hospital he had passed on his way there, and as he watched Ochako cover herself in a light much like Izuku did and took off with him in tow, Katsuki thought _You suicidal shit! Have you any sense of fucking self-preservation?! You nearly get yourself killed over and over again, a-and…_ He felt something drip from his chin. Then, he realized that it wasn't blood or sweat, but tears. _You don't give a fuck as to who you're hurting because of it!_

* * *

In two minutes, a total of ten after Izuku was shot by the Atrophy bullets, Ochako landed in front of the hospital, just in time to see someone else carted in. She screamed, "A-All Might?! What happened?" The former superhero looked worse than he ever did before. His face was paralyzed with pain as a new hole was formed in his gut. Standing by him was his best friend and confidant, Naomasa Tsukauchi.

He saw Izuku and gasped in horror. "What happened to Midoriya?!"

Not having the time for answers, they both handed the injured heroes to the staff, who immediately sent their best surgeons to treat them. If anyone deserved to live, it was Torinoshi Yagi and Izuku Midoriya.

As they waited for mentor and successor to be saved, the detective gravely remarked, "Despite losing One for All, he still packed a punch. Even so, I got sloppy and he had to take one of those decay-causing bullets for me. It took me twenty minutes to get here."

Ochako looked down in shame as she answered, "He did the same to me when we found Shigaraki."

"What happened to Shigaraki?"

She shed tears as she responded, "I-I broke the heroism code of pacifism. I sent him to space without any chance of return and killed him!"

As she sobbed, he laid his hand on her shoulder and held her closely. "Shh, it'll be alright. I'm sure everyone will agree that Shigaraki was an exception, that he was better off dead than allowed to live and potentially hurt others."

They waited several sleepless hours, unable to worry about anything other than the state of their friends. Then, a nurse exited the operating room, her voice grim. "We're sorry. Despite having our finest working on them, we were only able to save one."


	7. The Show Must Go On (Confessions)

**A/N: Hello, fellows! It's been such a short two weeks in the making, a lot of it spent just writing this, but it's also been the most fun I've had in a long time! I'd like to thank UpDownLeftRightHenloo for explaining their reasoning for how they wrote a funeral scene. It really helped me in deciding how to handle a subject I barely know anything about, and I hope that I've lived up to their experience. Without further hesitation, I'm happy to present the final chapter of this work!**

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The universe must've been cruelly laughing at Ochako that day. After defeating Tomura Shigaraki and making sure he never wronged humanity again, when she brought her best friend, her boyfriend, the successor to All Might, Izuku Midoriya, into the hospital for treatment, Naomasa brought in Torinoshi Yagi, once All Might and the world's symbol of peace and justice, her wonderful teacher, and a fatherly substitute for Izuku. The surgeons were forced to divide their efforts to take care of both of them, but despite their best efforts, only one lived. She couldn't blame them, though. Neither patient wanted each other to die, and their injuries made it clear that if at least one wasn't saved quickly enough, both would die. Ochako spent so much time worrying over them that she forgot to ask to get her arm fixed, and she was too lost in thoughts and grief to realize when she _was_ getting her arm fixed.

As she waited to heal, the decisive battle between good and evil had ended. Due to the valor shown by her classmates, alumni, and other pro heroes, all but a small handful of villains were captured, but not without casualties for the heroes. Those that couldn't fight rescued as many as they could while subduing the great inferno that engulfed Tokyo. The next day, the graduation ceremony was finished properly, but the once joyful event was instead solemnly held in front of the ruins of U.A., reminding them of the horrors caused by All for One's successor. Help came from every corner of the globe as the world mourned the tragedy that befell Japan.

The funeral for the man people called Japan's greatest hero was held a week later in Theed Cemetery. Despite the crushing void left in everyone's hearts by his death, the sun beamed down upon them just as it had done on the original day of the U.A. graduation ceremony, as if the victim himself told them to not cry because of his death, but smile because he lived a fulfilling life. The graduates of U.A. knew that he would've said exactly that. Ochako felt that it'd be best for the person who was at his side when he died to start the ceremony, but she knew better than to ask someone who was wheelchair-bound to get up on stage to speak.

Instead, Ochako made the opening speech, and as she stared into the masses and cameras, seeing everyone she knew and and the rest of the world waiting to hear what she'd say, how'd she'd handle his death so they could follow her example, she asked for the strength to speak, and after taking a heavy breath, she did. "We are gathered here today to honor the death of…" She had to collect her thoughts before continuing. "One of the greatest heroes we've come to know during our short time here on Earth. He easily soared through the ranks to claim the title of Japan's number one hero."

The pro heroes present bowed their heads with complete respect. After all, few expected someone with his origins become the top hero of Japan, nor did they expect him to meet such a gruesome end.

"He's saved as many lives as he changed them. I'll admit that the world is worse off without him."

A wave seemed to spread as the people whose lives he protected, whom he convinced to become heroes, whom he convinced to stop their criminal acts and reform, shuddered, and the wave traveled from the few people in front of her to those in the distance, the size growing until the resulting trembling nearly caused the Earth to shake.

"He's inspired us to go beyond countless times, and we wouldn't be the heroes we are today without him."

She saw her old classmates in the first row react in various manners. Some, such as Eijirou and Mina, grinned sadly as they thought back to their memories of the victim. Others stared ahead in disbelief, Shouto being one of them, still not having fully understood that the hero they had looked up to so much had finally lost their battle with death after an innumerable amount of skirmishes. Yuga had given up his eccentric smile and beaming personality for this funeral, while Tooru was deathly still, as if for once in her life, she wanted to disappear completely. Then, Ochako saw Katsuki. His head was pointed towards the floor, but unlike his mannerisms during high school, he was completely proper. Nobody could believe that it was truly him. From his suit that held few wrinkles to his made tie, even his hair was styled as if Best Jeanist combed it himself. He trembled, unsure of how to react, only knowing that by doing so with his usual self would be an utter insult to the victim. Ever since Katsuki heard the news of his death, his mind seemed to stop working, and he stiffly moved about as if he was on autopilot. Despite all their countless feuds, Ochako sympathized with him, having done the same when she heard that one of the two brought to the hospital died.

"That's why… I will fight to protect what he's given us with every ounce of strength I can call upon!" Suddenly, everyone, even Katsuki, looked towards her, awestruck by her declaration. She clenched her left hand, and watched it become enveloped in the ever increasing energy of One for All. She announced to the audience, no, to the world, "I will do this… because I, Uravity, am here!" Triumphantly, she raised her fist to the sky, her determined expression telling the human race that she would fight even the heavens themselves to ensure the future he died for.

The speech Ochako gave fueled everyone else to carry her momentum. One by one, people lined up to give their own little monologue regarding the man, what he did for them, and how they would live up to his legacy. The ceremony lasted for several hours, but nobody wanted it to end. Instead, they wished that they could recount their memories of their beloved hero forever. That's not what he would've wanted, though. In their hearts, they knew he wanted them to move on, to move past his death and grow stronger than they were. It was a long time after they buried him in Theed Cemetery before someone decided to leave. Once they did, the rate the audience left grew and grew, until Ochako's class left her, Katsuki, and the survivor. Undoubtedly, they'd let themselves cry in privacy, not wanting to let his body hear them cry. Soon, Katsuki himself left without a word, purely a dull expression on his face. Now, only Ochako and the person who lived while he died stood in front of the hero's filled grave. One of them broke the silence, the tense air nearly choking them as they spoke.

"I'm sorry to have broken our promise."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"He and I… we told ourselves that we would defy anything that would attempt to kill us, that we would stand by each other until our natural deaths. If only I had been able to protect him! If only he was the one standing here instead of me!" They shook their fist in frustration.

"There was nothing you could've done. You know he would've said the same thing if he lived instead."

For several minutes, they were lost in the sound of the wind brushing against their ears and the light of the sunset. Then, one of them said, "I-I don't know how I'll ever live up to him now."

The other person turned to look at them, surprised. "No, don't say that. Time and time again, you've surpassed any expectations we had of you. Regardless of what you think of yourself now, you've make him proud then, and you'll continue to make him proud now. You looked up to him, and he was the one to give you his Quirk."

"Y-you think so?"

They nodded and offered a warm smile. "I know so."

They turned to each other and enveloped each other in each other's arms, finding the comfort they've needed to get themselves through this, and they started grieving, letting out tears that had to be let out or else they'd forever weigh them down into the depths of their consciousness.

Out of the corner of Ochako's eye, she saw translucent figures standing on his grave, eight to be exact. She couldn't recognize all but the one in front standing in the front of the crowd. One by one, they left, vanishing into the air. Only the one she recognized remained, grinning widely and sincerely. She extended her hand, as if him taking it would bring him back from the dead, but he simply waved as he walked away, saying his final farewell. Ochako understood his intention. He wanted her to move on without him, to become the greatest superhero without him, but it broke her heart regardless.

The old, tired voice of the mortal drew her back from the boundary between life and death. "Young Uraraka, what's the matter?"

She wiped her tears and responded, "S-sorry, Mr. Yagi."

He shook his head. "Please, call me Torinoshi." He looked back to the grave of Izuku Midoriya. "Did he ever tell you of the person that came before me?"

"No, he told me that it was your secret to give."

"Well, she meant a lot to me, different than what young Midoriya meant to you, but there was still a deep connection between us. Then, she died at the height of her career, leaving her good friend Gran Torino to raise me into the hero I was."

"I-I see."

"Please don't pity me. I've had my time to accept this, and so will you. I only hope that I'll be a better mentor to you than I was to him. Let's go. It's getting dark." He moved himself forward, and Ochako followed.

"Torinoshi, thank you. I'll carry on the legacy of you both." With one final look towards her lover's tombstone, she asked one final question. "But, why did he deserve to die?"

He lamented, "Young Uraraka, no hero deserves to die. Rather, determined people like him are the type to fly too close to the sun. Some, in their quest, lived but fell into infamy. Only the good die young."


End file.
